Russell s



',(No'Moael.)

P ENNIMAN. PRBPARING NITRATE or AMMONIA.

No. 448,362. Patented Mar. 17, 1891.

,f Ninna mains RUSSELL S. PENNIMAN, OF DOVER, NEW JERSEY.

assassine parsers er asienta.

ss'sexsicatrron forming pare of Letters retenant. ceases, dated march 1r; ism.

original Application nea July-1i, 188s, seau no.

279,649.y Divided and this application filed August 20,1890. Serial Ho. 862,453. (No model.)

To all wom, it may concern:

Be it known that l, RUSSELL S. PENNIMAN, of Dover, in the county of Morris and State y of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Nitrate of Ammonia; and Ido hereby declare that the following specification, taken in. connection with the drawings furnished and forminga part of the same, is a clear, true, and complete description of my said invention.

ln my application for Letters Patent filed July 11, 1888, Serial No. 279,649, I disclosed certain improvements in the manufacture of nitrate of ammonia, including the production. of the same in a protected form for use in high explosives, and my present' application is founded upon said prior application and is intended to be a division thereof. In my said prior application l described the development of dehydrated grained nitrate of ammonia in the presence of aprotecting medium, and also the developmentof the grained nitrate without the presence of said medium, but affording it in a novel condition as to graining and dehydration lit for and'ready to receive a protecting-coating, and it is to this latter mode of operation in the production of protected nitrate thatm y present application is to be restricted.

After describing this portion of my invention, in connection with the accompanying drawings, the same will be duly specified iu an appropriate claim hereunto annexed.

Referring to the drawings, .Figure 1 illustrates in elcvatien an apparatus'as devised by me for use in accordance with my inventien. `Fig. 2 illustrates in central' vertical section the portion of the apparatus in whichthe dehydrated grained nitrate is developed.

The requisite acids and ammoniacal liquors are assembled upon a suitable platfoljm A, and the finished product is taken from the apparatus into suitable receptacles, also to be supported on said platform. A mixing-tank B is located on a ioor below the platform, so that. the top of the tank'will be easily accessible for the reception of the acid and ammoniacal liquor from the platform. This mixingtank has-a cover and also a funnel for facilitaining the delivery of the charge thereto, and

pipes provided witha steam-ejector or, with a suitable pump to enable the transfer of the contents of the mixing-tank to the settlingtanks. of concentratingans, and although but two On the upper platform there is a set are shown at D D ,-one being above the other,

it is to be understood that a series of such pans should be used. These pans are provided with coils for the reception of steam, and they are also connected by piping provided with suitable eocks, which enable either to be discharged by way of pipe D, or the contents of the upper pan to flow to the lower, although each pan may be separately supplied with brine from the settling-tanks.'

The graining and coating apparatus E is cenvenientlyaecessible from the platform on which it stands, and it consists of a circular jacketed pan a., provided with a-central hub containing a vertical-shaft b, geared to a driving-shaft c. The upper cud of said shaft b supports a set of pendent arms or stirrers d, which occupy the pan, and when rotated they serve as mechanical stirrers. One or more of said arms d carry bent perforated pipes e, which at their upper ends communicate with a' chamberf, to which air is supplied under sufficient pressure, by way of a pipe g, communicating. with a blower F or other suitable airpuinp. l

In the practice of the invention which is Y the subject hereof .the tank B is charged with aqueous ammoniacal lliquor and nitric acid, the latter in such quantity as will leave the mass slightly alkaline and then properly stirred. 'lhe brine is then transferred to the settling-mnh', from which it is iu due time dclivercd in proper quantities to the concentrating-pans D D', within which the process of evaporation is quite rapidly conducted nntil from ninety to ninety-five per cent. of the water has been expelled. From these pans the liquid is then delivered in desirable quantities to the graining apparatus E, and while therein and at a high temperature (steam being admitted to the interior steam-spac e) jets of air are delivered into theliquclicdnitratc,

- ing o!! allot the waterfand thoroughly dehy- :is introduced into said space forcooling down other suitable coating material) is introduced, the grains of nitrate. readily' taking to their i and the proportion ofthe coating need be no thus not only prevent-ing all danger of decomposition dne to-'high heat, but also carrydrating the nitrate while' itis in a liquefied or .melted condition, The airis then cut oil, and the steam is alsoV cut of! from entering. the jacket-space of the' pan, and'then cold water the mass, .the stirrersbeing ke t in motion nntii the. nitrate is well w erenpon Y in thepmtectng medium (gah as v line or en rfaces enough ofthe coatingto enable them to'resistthose deiiquescent' tend :ncies common to unprotected nitrate, Care should be taken to avoid a tem peratnre higher than 820",v

greater than say, thirteen 'per cent.A of the weight ofthe nitrate to be protected.

. invention, I claim as. new andv Ain a, liqneed or melted condition by mechanicai agitation, accompanied with the injectien o! air, then cooling the nitrate and developing it intograins by mechanical ai- 3o tation whi e cooling,and then 'applying to t e. mass a medium for protecting the' ns 'of nitrate against deliqnescenttendenc es.

RUSSELL s. PENNIMAN Witnesses: I I I Js l Sifnrmv S. Slrrn. 

